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God, our refuge and strength – Part 3

By Princewill Ireoba
21 October 2018   |   2:03 am
PSALM 46 And Our Country Of Fear Today: Nigeria has been in the grip of fear, great fear. A section of the country endured the torture of a three-year civil war.

Princewill O. Ireoba

PSALM 46 And Our Country Of Fear Today: Nigeria has been in the grip of fear, great fear. A section of the country endured the torture of a three-year civil war. At the end of the civil war, a new phenomenon terrorised Nigerians – armed robbery– and is still ravaging the land. They rob, kill, maim, harass and rape! They enter everywhere, including Government premises. They are a law unto themselves. The civil war and the policy of General Gowon’s Government transferring all mission schools to Government produced this evil result.

Niger Delta, the home of fossil oil, which funds activities of the three tiers of Government in Nigeria, was neglected by successive Nigerian governments. The acute suffering of natives of Niger Delta attracted condemnation of civilized world, and demanded from Nigerian Government and multi-national oil companies to show a higher sense of responsibility. This was haphazardly done; it was slow and uninspiring. This was the presenting situation for the emergence of the militia group, the Niger Delta militants. They were fighting a noble cause, but without doubt inflicted a serious setback on Government and oil companies’ activities. They killed and maimed. They dared the National Armed Forces – Army, Navy and Air Force.

The Government of President Umaru Yar’Adua introduced the Amnesty programme, which extensively curbed their activities. But we must say that these militants introduced an evil that has now stubbornly refused to go away – kidnapping! It started with seizing foreign personnel of multi-national oil companies, which had to pay heavy ransom to set them free. It has degenerated, and at a point, Rivers State, Delta, Abia, Imo, Anambra and Bayelsa became out of bounds to anybody worth mentioning in society. In some cases, it became an instrument in the hands of political opponents to punish their fellow office contenders. Traditional rulers, businessmen and women, clergymen and what is more, school children became hot commodities to be captured and priced for ransom. It is still continuing.

Side by side with all this is the menace of ritual killing for acquisition of magical wealth and power. Gradually, the burning of Churches became a pastime of some youths in the northern part of the country, even on issues that have no remote or immediate connection with Nigeria, much less the Christian Faith. A good example was the burning and killing ostensibly engendered by the Danish cartoon of Prophet Mohammed.

At this time, it was still tolerable, but with emergence of Boko Haram Islamic sect, bombing, shooting, killing and challenging a constitutional Government became the presenting issues. It declared itself an alternative Government, demanding total Islamisation of the country and shut down of Western type of education. Gunmen on motorcycle kill at will. They kill both Christians and Muslims, and almost completely shut down Maiduguri, and the whole of Yobe State. The last straw that broke the Carmel’s back was the order given by Boko Haram for all Northerners in the South to return to the North, and Southerners in the North to return to the South. It also intensified its provocation by targeting churches with bombing and gunfire.

Another more dangerous dimension has now been introduced, the Killer Herdsmen. This time there is no boundary. They operate from east to west, north and south. Fear now reigns supreme in the land as a result, with the nation’s security apparatus not appearing to be the solution.

Economically, the managers of the stock market sent many citizens to their early graves. When stocks crashed, many people crashed with it, and things have not been the same again.

Fear of political and economic insecurity overwhelmed everyone. (Culled from THE OPENING ADDRESS by His Grace, The Most Revd. Nicholas D. Okoh, MA, Fss, Mss, LLD, DD.; Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate Of All Nigeria to The Standing Committee of the Church Of Nigeria held in the Cathedral Church of St Peter Minna from September 17 to 21, 2018)

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